One of the big problems is that the Soviet experience and the “post-Soviet” identity are rapidly becoming obsolete. We need a new ideology for the greater union, in the name of which we may build international cooperation and implement reforms, writes Rakhim Oshakbayev, speaker of the special session “30 years of new Eurasia - results and prospects” at the 18th Annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, Director of the TALAP Center for Applied Research.
It is an exciting moment now for the states that appeared after the collapse of the USSR. For Kazakhstan and for other countries of the post-Soviet region, the 30th anniversary of independence is a great holiday, and everyone approaches this date with their own unique historical baggage.
There is also something that unites us: all the countries of Central Asia have been strongly “renewed” demographically. We have raised our own post-independence “generations”, who do not share the Soviet experience that united us all. These are new people, and they will build political and economic relations between our states in the future.
At the same time, of course, none of us is leaving the neighbourhood. I think we need to lay the foundations for a strategy for the future, taking into account the so-called “human” factor, that is, a generational transit, with global and regional challenges.
One of the big problems is that the Soviet experience and our “post-Soviet” identity are rapidly becoming outdated. We need a new big regional ideology, in the name of which we will build international cooperation and carry out reforms.
Fortunately, we have a project for our future, which, unfortunately, is significantly complicated in everyday bureaucratic work - this is the Eurasian Economic Union. In fact, it was Nursultan Nazarbayev, who first proclaimed this idea 27 years ago, in a lecture at Moscow State University.
On the one hand, our relations with the countries of the region have changed a lot in 30 years. They have been cleared of the Soviet legacy; in some places they are deeper, while in others they’re more shallow. But, on the other hand, there are new challenges that we need to adapt to. And if we do it all together, if we go under the same flag, constantly checking our watches, then the process will go faster.
The main challenge we all face is the green agenda. Until a few years ago, it seemed that these were the problems of the Western world. They have reached the heights of their development and can now think about the fate of the planet. And we still need to work and think about reforms and increase GDP, without thinking about the consequences for the environment.
We see that the Russian Federation has introduced nuclear power into the taxonomy of green energy sources. The European Union is also preparing for a similar step. Climate change is a key challenge for us, and it is easier to approach it from a regional perspective. This is exactly how the EU acts - it creates a unified regulation for the participants in order to carry out the reform in a comprehensive manner.
We will have to act similarly. Trade and economic ties between the countries of the region, being in a common economic space, require a coordinated approach in re-establishing our economies on green tracks.
I think that Russia and Kazakhstan can demonstrate an example of energy cooperation. Our economies have a similar structure, but Russia is more technologically advanced, and we hope for a transfer of technologies in order to raise our own engineers who could be able to work at nuclear power plants. The main thing is that cooperation is mutually beneficial.
It is obvious that such a reorganisation of the economies, the transition to other energy sources requires a different security strategy in the region. The Afghanistan issue, I think, will not leave the agenda for a long time. This creates a demand for more than just the physical security infrastructure for deterrence.
There is also an ideological question: we have seen more than once how supporters of radical ideas export their views, how they become the basis for illegal actions in Russia, in Kazakhstan. This is our common challenge, because such groups are networked, extremism has no boundaries, and we need to work together.
Finally, I want to say that, despite the generational change both in the population at large and in the bureaucracy, our ties will not go anywhere. Perhaps they will change qualitatively; perhaps they will become even deeper However, the fact that we share a common space and the centuries-old ties between our states oblige us to respond to challenges together.
There is also an ideological question: we have seen more than once how supporters of radical ideas export their views, how they become the basis for illegal actions in Russia, in Kazakhstan. This is our common challenge, because such groups are networked, extremism has no boundaries, and we need to work together.
Finally, I want to say that, despite the generational transit both in the general civil mass and in the bureaucracy, our ties will not go anywhere. Perhaps they will qualitatively change, perhaps they will become even deeper. But being in a common space and centuries-old ties between our states oblige us to respond to challenges together.
